Last Seen Alive

4.5*<br /><br /><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/60629352.Last_Seen_Alive__D__I__Isabel_Blood__3_" title="Last Seen Alive (D. I. Isabel Blood #3) by Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">Last Seen Alive</a> is another engrossing instalment in <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/1086185.Jane_Bettany" title="Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">Jane Bettany</a>'s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/302970-d-i-isabel-blood" rel="nofollow noopener">D.I. Isabel Blood series</a>.<br /><br />Lauren Talbot becomes worried when her best friend, single mother Anna Matheson, fails to show up to collect her five-month-old son Benedict, who Lauren's babysitting whilst Anna attends a work function. Police are called and D.I. Isabel Blood's CID team are soon brought in to investigate the disappearance of the normally reliable Anna. Against the backdrop of a Derbyshire heatwave, they question Anna's mother Christina and her colleagues at her workplace, Allwood's Confectionery. The shape of the investigation is affected by D.C. Lucas Killingworth's connection to the Allwood family. When Anna's body is discovered in nearby parkland by the ubiquitous early-morning dog walker, the case becomes a murder inquiry and pressure mounts for Blood and her team to identify a perpetrator.<br /><br />Investigations uncover a complex web of relationships and connections between the victim and various witness-suspects, both in the present and in the past. Shocking revelations expose multiple potential motives for Anna's murder as the detectives' attention focuses in upon a particularly remorseless criminal.<br /><br />This is a series I find especially enjoyable to read. The crimes are realistic, without ever becoming gory, and its setting in the fictionalised town of Bainbridge (which the author notes is inspired by Belper, where she grew up) well developed. While the mystery plot provides the backbone of the novel, the strong characterisations, particularly of D.I. Blood, her family and police colleagues, are what sets the series apart from other mysteries and police procedurals. Unlike many protagonists in the genre, Isabel presents a psychologically stable, dedicated and approachable persona. She has her personal and professional challenges, but on the whole balances the demands of her work reasonably well with other aspects of her life. Her team members, at various levels in the hierarchy are also three-dimensional and intriguing characters, and its rewarding to see each of their development over the course of the series so far.<br /><br />One aspect of <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/1086185.Jane_Bettany" title="Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">Jane Bettany</a>'s writing that I find particularly impressive is her attention to detail as far as police and forensic procedure and her adherence to "real life" restrictions on police behaviour. As in the first book, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/55120356.In_Cold_Blood__DI_Isabel_Blood_" title="In Cold Blood (DI Isabel Blood) by Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">In Cold Blood</a>, an officer with a personal link to the victim or one or more witnesses/suspects is required to withdraw to "desk duties". This is a fundamental requirement to avoid potential conflicts of interest and/or undermining a future prosecution, but seems to be ignored all too frequently in crime fiction. Similarly, Bettany is meticulous - without ever becoming overly detailed - in her depiction of crime scene procedures. You won't find Isabel Blood tottering into a crime scene in her uncovered high heels and ordering everyone about, as you might in other series! <br /><br />While I'd happily endorse the series as a whole, I believe that <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/60629352.Last_Seen_Alive__D__I__Isabel_Blood__3_" title="Last Seen Alive (D. I. Isabel Blood #3) by Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">Last Seen Alive</a> would also be enjoyed as a standalone read. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary police procedural mysteries in a traditional "whodunnit" mould. Readers who enjoy <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/56067.Ann_Cleeves" title="Ann Cleeves" rel="noopener">Ann Cleeves</a>, <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/5616429.Jane_Isaac" title="Jane Isaac" rel="noopener">Jane Isaac</a> and/or <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/1639352.J_R__Ellis" title="J.R. Ellis" rel="noopener">J.R. Ellis</a> would find this right up their alley.<br /><br />My thanks to the author, <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/1086185.Jane_Bettany" title="Jane Bettany" rel="noopener">Jane Bettany</a>, publisher HQ / HQ Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title, which was released on April 15th 2022.

This is a pleasant mystery/suspense novel, which is a word that I don't think I've ever used for a book in this genre before. The book follows the story line for a handful of police officers and the female DI in charge of them as they investigate the disappearance of a new mother at an office party. <br /><br />At first there were so many different officers and detectives that I had no idea who was who and had to just hope none of them ended up being the villain because I would have missed crucial information. This is the third book in the series and you don't need to have read the first two at all, but perhaps I would have a better ability to remember which cop was which if I had.<br /><br />DI Isabel Blood is a cool character, smart and capable but also dealing with real life like a grown son who's moved back home and not doing much to advance his life and a missing dog. I thought for sure the missing dog plot line would have something to do with the case but no, it's just a middle aged woman who gets really worried when the family dog gets out. Other characters are equally real, visiting their parents to find out about family history for the case, worrying about not being very good with people or babies, and so on. These little bits of humanity were interesting and did help the characters come to life for me once I figured out who most of them were.<br /><br />The case itself was very... typical. This isn't one of those books where the bad guy was a long lost twin with Dissociative Identity Disorder posing as the mailman all the time. No, it's an actual realistic case. I guessed the twists and motives and such before they were revealed, but I still had a lot of fun time puzzling as I read.<br /><br />I'd happily read more in this series and would even read them out of order since none of this book referenced things from other books in terms of other cases.<br /><br />This is an easy, enjoyable, light read. It will be well suited for those who like procedurals and who like getting to know the characters. No depictions of graphic violence, sex or triggers. Cussing and references to violence are about it. Recommended.<br /><br />I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

Detective Isobel Blood's team is a group of believable detectives...no superheroes...no "Kojak Wanna-Be's"...just hard-working people doing a sometimes, thankless job. Isabel herself is smart and capable, and fair, but also has issues in her personal life to deal with, like her adult son, Bailey. This is an intriguing, well-written, well-plotted story that is rich with secrets, and surprises. Overall an enjoyable read. If you are a fan of Ann Cleave's Vera series or her Shetland Island series, which I am...you will more than likely like Isabelle and her team.

Wonderful

Excellent crime novel for fans of Ann Cleeve's Vera and the books of Val McDermid.

This is #3 in the DI Isabel Blood, but don't hesitate to pick it up as a stand-alone!<br />DI Isabel Blood and her team are called in when Anna Matheson disappears after a work party. The party seems innocuous enough, but as the police investigate it's anything but! . Anna, it seems, was making big changes company wide and ruffling many feathers within the organization.. <br /><br />Before long, everyone at the party is a suspect and Isabel has her work cut out for her!<br />A great, competent and clean mystery for all of you detectivers out there! . #HQdigital #NetGalleyReads #NetGalley

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.<br /><br />This opened really strongly with Lauren wondering why her friend Anna hasn't come to pick up the son she has been baby-sitting for her. It was a solid police procedural, with a good balance of focus on the case and the personal lives of the police officers. I haven't read the first two instalments in this series, but it read like a stand alone book. There was a point in which the focus on DNA evidence got a bit confusing, but I thought the solution was satisfactory and despite the odd loose end (who was Anna on the phone to when Fenella entered her office?) I would recommend this novel and would read others by this author.

When Anna fails to get her son from the babysitter after a work party. This is not typical of Anna to disappear.<br />Cameras outside could not pickup her exit from the car park. What happened to Anna? This is was a good suspenseful , good and quick book.

Review<br />Jane does it again with another gripping read. <br /><br />I read this one in 24 hours and had me engrossed from page 1. <br /><br />What I love about Jane's writing is that you never feel like you are reading a story but that you are there in the scene, there were so many on point references to the pandemic that it really did make it more realistic. <br /><br />I had so many suspects floating around my mind, none of which were correct (to say I'm a cooper's daughter I really didn't inherit the detective gene ?) <br /><br />I'm really hoping that there is a book 4 in the DI Blood series, I've read them from book 1 and have become really invested in them.<br />⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not an easy book to review; having read previous in this series it's a solid, engaging continuation with the return of several characters and a strong plot. It's not the best book I've ever read, there's nothing spectacular about it but I didn't expect there to be...